The sight that greeted me made the blood roar through my ears. He’d taken things way too far this time. Slashed tires and broken windows were one thing, writing “whore” on the hood of her car another.
I’m coming.
That shit took this to a whole new level.
No longer was he asking for broken bones and a hospital stay. No, by doing this he was telling me he wanted me to slice his dick off and fuck him with it. Pain and humiliation were going to be his companions—sooner rather than later.
I walked past the car and into the apartment to find Tess sitting on the couch, a beer already in her hand. She held it up in a mock "cheers."
“I figure if I have to get up and start my day like this, there’s no reason I can’t start drinking this early.”
I walked over and took the bottle. “I have Charlie, Dean, and Brock all out looking for Ray. How about instead of getting drunk, I find other ways to help you forget about your shitty morning?”
She got this glint in her eye that made my balls tighten. “I think I like the sound of that.”
I bent at the waist, throwing her over my shoulder and giving her a quick smack on the ass. Tess liked things gentle and sweet as much as she liked things a little on the rough side but after the morning she’d had, rough was on the menu.
When we reached her bedroom, I set her down and stripped as quickly as possible, watching her do the same. Free of clothes, I plunged my hand into her hair and dragged her mouth to mine. Our tongues dueled, dancing, fighting for power, and my cock grew harder with each thrust. Releasing her hair, I slid my hands down her neck.
Down,
down,
and down,
until I reached paradise.
She was already wet. We both wanted it hard and fast. I pushed her legs back and slammed home. Sensation tore through me and my cock jerked. I wouldn’t last long. With hard, plunging strokes I fucked her, pushing her over the edge and letting her body take me with it.
Panting, I dropped down next to Tess and pulled her into my arms, her back to my front. “Better?” I asked, pressing a brief kissing to the back of her neck.
“Much,” she whispered dreamily. “I love you.”
“I love you, babe. I’m so sorry that asshole fucked with your car.”
Her body shuddered and it was hard to miss the thickness in her voice when she answered, “It’s only a car.”
I knew she didn’t mean it.
She was upset, but relaxed, I decided to barrel through and deal with the consequences later.
“No, it was more to you. But I have something I think will make it better.”
She turned her head, one eye cracked open. “You’re going to kill Ray? I already know that.”
“Not quite, but I think you’ll find it just as pleasing.”
Her brows drew together, but she still hadn’t bothered to open her other eye. “I’m listening.”
“You’re debt free.”
One snapped open fully. “I’m what?”
“And,” I said at the same time, “you’re moving in with me.”
The other eye snapped open. “What did you say?”
“That you’re debt free and moving in with me.”
She sprang from the bed, gloriously naked, her creamy skinned limbs moving with a fluidity that had my cock stirring again; although, I had a feeling with the way she was standing there, braced for a fight, I wouldn’t be getting any. Not until she calmed down.
“What do you know about my debt? And what makes you think I’m moving in with you?”
I knew she might have a problem with me paying off the loans, but I never expected her to question moving in with me. Did she not understand how un-fucking-safe it was now Ray had figured out where she lived?
“Have you not seen your car?”
“Oh, I’ve seen it all right, but I don’t understand how that translates into me moving in with you.”
It was my turn to jump from the bed. “You’re lucky he didn’t try and do that shit to you. You can’t stay here anymore. It’s not safe.”
“So because you deem it unsafe, I’m supposed to jump and listen? What would have been so wrong with you asking me instead of telling me I’m moving in? I might have been willing to listen had you given me the option, but instead you come in here and rearrange my whole life. You haven’t pulled this kind of stupid shit since the beginning. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought you’d figured out the best way for us to decide something is to ask me for my opinion, not tell me what it is.”
“Not when your safety is on the line. You’re mine and I’m not going to let that slimy bastard lay a finger on you,” I roared. The whole argument was fucking stupid. She would be safer in my house. I had no idea why it was so difficult for her to see that? Didn’t she understand how much I loved her and wanted her there?
“That doesn’t mean you get to rearrange my whole life for me. I’m not moving in with you, end of discussion.”
She began reaching for her clothes, tugging her panties up her legs and swiping my shirt off the bedroom floor, pulling it around her body like a safety blanket. I tried to move closer but she held up a hand; a hand that was shaking. “Stay where you are, Miller. You better explain right now what you mean when you say I’m ‘debt free.’”
“I paid off your student loans.”
The air around us froze, a chill sweeping through the room and holding us both immobile. There was a piercing squeak and I watched Tess’s mouth hang open. For one brief moment I thought she’d be happy.
“Get out.”
The words left her lips but there was no emotion in them. No excitement, no anger, no . . . anything. Only words. Words that hung in the air, waiting for someone to take them. But neither of us moved.
“I said, get out.”
“I pay off your debt and you throw me out. What the fuck is that?”
She stalked around the bed until we were only inches apart, her voice rising with each word. “You go and do exactly what I’ve been asking you not to do for months. I keep trying to tell you that I can handle my own money, but you decide to ignore everything I’ve been saying about how important it is for me to know I am self-reliant and throw your wealth at me? What did you expect?”
“A ‘thank you’ might have been nice. I fucking love you and wanted to do something nice.”
“Thank you? You really expect me to thank you?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. Thank you for reminding that you will always be an asshole at heart. Doing things I asked you not to isn’t love. It’s a way for you to prove how much more money you have than me. Now get the fuck out of my apartment.” Tears threatened in her eyes. It was instinctive to reach for her, to try and take them all away. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t understand where her anger was coming from. This was a good thing. She was always complaining about how tired she was, or how creepy some of the patrons were. I’d given her an out. An opportunity for a clean break. How, after all that, was I the bad guy?
For the first time I’d given a woman my heart, tried to make her happy and she’d thrown it back in my face.
“Fuck this.” I threw on my clothes, minus the shirt she still wore, and walked out the door, slamming it behind me. I’d done everything I could to help. After all the progress we’d made—me making an effort to try to build a relationship with her—she was intent on keeping me at arms length. She might have said she loved me, but in the moment I was having a hard time believing it. It pissed me off that I’d believed it so readily in the first place.
Jumping into my car, I peeled out of the neighborhood. I’d deal with Tess and her bullshit tomorrow, knowing that if I stayed any longer, I’d say something I’d regret.
CHAPTER 26
Theresa
I slammed the door harder than necessary. Damn Miller and his demands. Didn’t he understand anything of what I’d spent the last few months explaining? Or were my feelings not as important?
I went into the kitchen to grab a beer. I should leave them alone. I had so much homework to do and half of what the professor had explained this afternoon had floated straight over my head.
As I drank beer number one I thought about what an arrogant SOB Miller was. Halfway through beer number two I began to realize that I might have overreacted somewhat. By the time I’d drained the dregs of my third bottle I was reaching for the phone to call him, the dot over the phone symbol flashing an ugly number thirteen, reminding me of just how much of a bitch I’d been. I’d seen the calls flashing through while I was in class and had silenced them. That wasn’t unusual. But the calls I’d ignored afterward . . . that had been me acting in anger. And now I felt terrible.
In my heart, I knew Miller was only trying to help. He’d never hurt me the way my parents had. Miller wanted to give me the chance to pursue my dream without any more obstacles. Then there was still the part of me that was hurt that the only reason he wanted me to move in was for my own safety.
After months of getting to know Miller, I knew he wasn’t always the greatest at getting his point across when his feelings were in the way. I should have talked to him.
I swiped to unlock my screen, bringing Miller’s details up. As I went to touch his name I heard the click of my front door. A chill ran up my spine. “Miller,” I called. “Is that you?” I turned to place my bottle by the sink but as I spun back around I felt a pain radiate from the back of my head, knocking me to the floor, my phone slipping out of my hand.
The linoleum felt cold beneath my cheek and my hands shook as I tried to lift them to touch the back of my head, a gasp escaping my lips when I felt something warm and sticky coating my hair. Bringing my fingertips to my face, I saw the bright red liquid just as my body buckled with the blunt force against my ribs. I curled tighter, struggling for breath, my vision blurred as I tried to lift my head to see who or what was in my apartment.
A pair of black boots came into view, one lace untied. I twisted my head to look up but could only see an outline, the bright light coming from my kitchen lights making me wince, forcing me to close my eyes. My heart thundered in my chest and I opened my mouth to speak when I heard it.
“Evening, Tess.”
CHAPTER 27
Miller
Straight after our fight I wanted to settle things. I was a brooder typically, but for some reason I hated that there was this issue between us. I was so used to just picking up the phone and talking to Tess, or shooting her a text whenever I felt like it that to not be able to do that left me feeling . . . weird. But I knew we both needed time apart or we’d end up saying things we didn’t mean. Ashton had been right: each day I learned more about being in a relationship.
After I’d cooled down, I tried calling her.
No answer.
I tried again but she sent it straight to voicemail. I knew she had a class so I wasn’t too concerned. She often declined my calls if she was in a lecture.
But by the time I knew her class would have ended, she still wasn’t answering. She was avoiding me which only stirred the anger I’d tried to bury. The woman made me fucking crazy. I was starting to wonder why in the holy hell Ashton would want Elena to stand up to him. Life would be so much easier if Tess would just do what I told her to. If she moved in with me like I wanted then I wouldn’t have to worry about Ray finding her, and I wouldn’t have to wonder where she was when we fought. She’d be with me every moment. And seeing as the guys couldn’t find any trace of Ray, staying in her apartment wasn’t going to be an option much longer, whether she liked it or not.
Forcing the clutch down and shifting into fifth, I pushed the car harder than I had on any city street before. I usually saved these speeds for the highway.
The evening traffic meant that even with my speed, the journey took longer than I would have liked but, finally, I pulled up out the front of her apartment. I jumped from the car, slamming the door behind me. Of all of the things I hated, being ignored was up there with the best of them, so if Tess wanted a fight, that’s exactly what she was going to get.
The blood was pounding in my ears by the time I reached her place, and I had a very loose grip on my temper as I beat on the door with my fist.
“Tess, open this motherfuckin’ door right now before I kick it in. You and I are going to talk about this.”
Still nothing.
My hands shook as I held them at my side. I was abso-fucking-lutely done. Taking a step back, I ran at the door with my shoulder, pushing all my weight against it, stumbling into the room as the lock gave way and the door swung open. All the lights but the one coming from the kitchen were off.
Leaving the front door wide open, the evening breeze whistling through, making the air warm in the otherwise freezing cold apartment, I stalked through her living room, toward the light. But as soon as I crossed the threshold, I stopped dead in my tracks and my heart leapt into my throat.
There on the floor was Tess, a puddle of blood surrounding her limp body, cuts and bruises marring her perfect skin.
“Oh fuck.” I ran and dropped on my knees beside her, fumbling around in my jacket for my phone to call for an ambulance. I’d inflicted enough of my own damage over the years to know that this kind of a beating might have caused internal bleeding. This was more than I could take care of myself. She needed a hospital, and fast.
Afraid of causing any more damage by moving her but needing her to know I was there, I took one hand in mine and gently caressed her face with the other.
“Come on, Tess. You’re a fighter. Stay with me.”
Her chest rose and fell but the movements were shallow and choppy. Whatever motherfucker had laid a hand on her would deal with me, and the torture I’d inflict on them would be worse than they could ever imagine.
The sounds of sirens in the distance made me breathe a little easier.
“They’re almost here, baby. Just hang on a little longer.”
One of her eyes was almost completely swollen shut and her nose sat at an awkward angle. My stomach churned thinking how long she might have been lying here, all because I thought she needed time.
A knock sounded on the door.
“In here,” I called, refusing to leave her side until I had no choice.
The paramedics raced into the room, immediately moving in next to Tess to work on her.
“What’s her name?” one of them asked.
“Tess.” I moved aside to let them see to her but I wouldn’t be far away.
They took care of the injuries they could see before moving her to a back board and wheeling her out to the waiting ambulance. By that time, the police had arrived to investigate. Given my previous interactions with local law enforcement, I was all fired up for them to give me a hard time. I was genuinely surprised when they didn’t.
“How do you know the victim, Mr. Hawes?”
“She’s my girlfriend. We had a fight earlier and I came to talk to her about it when I finished work. She wouldn’t answer so I pushed the door in and found her lying on the floor.” I took a deep breath in through my nose, my stomach rolling as I thought about what might have happened had I not come over.
He nodded toward the paramedics, who were strapping Tess into the back of the ambulance. “Why don’t you go with her and we’ll meet you at the hospital when we’re done here.”
“Okay.” I was confused. Hawes boys were always assumed guilty until proven innocent. This was new territory for me but I wasn’t going to wait around for him to change his mind.
I turned and jogged over to the ambulance. Thankfully, they’d managed to stabilize her so I was able to ride in the back with her.
The sounds of the sirens wailing filled the air as we darted back through the evening traff
ic, my mind on the bastard who’d put his hands on her. Whoever it was was still out there. And I had no idea if they planned on coming back.
My gaze dropped to the woman on the gurney. She looked so vulnerable lying there; although, some color had returned to her cheeks and her breathing was more stable. The paramedic explained that the IV in her arm was delivering enough pain medication to keep her comfortable until the doctor could examine her.
Every time I looked at her I saw more clearly the damage that was done to her, the swelling around her eyes causing her face to appear distorted. I knew it was Tess, yet the woman whose hand I held tight in my own didn’t look anything like the Tess I knew. Fear and rage warred within me.
By the time we arrived at the hospital, the desire to kill someone was in full swing. The doors opened behind me and there was a flurry of activity as Tess was wheeled out of the ambulance and flanked by people in scrubs.
“Sir, I’m afraid you’ll have to leave the room,” a nurse said when I tried to follow Tess back into one of the trauma areas. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her to fuck off, but I was aware that any time I wasted being an asshole was time that the nurse was not spending taking care of Tess. Swallowing the words on my lips, I nodded and followed another nurse out to the waiting room.
The mood around me was oppressive; the air thick with uncertainty and apprehension. A television on the wall played the local news but I couldn’t bring myself to focus on anything. People sat waiting to be called, their faces betraying the worry they felt.
Do I look like them?
Pulling out my phone, I walked through the ambulance doors and down around the side of the building. The waiting room was not the place for the conversation I needed to have. Too many ears. Far enough from the entrance, somewhere between the dumpsters and the generator, I dialed the first of my numbers.
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